Well elevator



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,830

w. H. BURSTALL WELL ELEVATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1921 2 sheets-sheet l A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1923.

w. H. BURSTALL WELL ELEVATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 0 v MW 0 WW1 4 2 5 Z R- Y m 4 M E r V m m T A Patented Feb. 3?, 323.

WILLIAM H. BURSTALL, OF OXNARD,

WELL ELEVATOR:

CALIFORNIA, assrenoa rommn' ur neroams oomrm, or OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or CALIFORNIA.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,530.

To all whom it may concern: f Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BURs'rALL, a citizen of the United States, Oxnard, in the county of Ventura and State 5 of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Well Elevators, of which the following isia specification.

This invention relates to well elevators, such as are employed for handling pipe, casing and other elements and parts used in drilling and operating oil wells or other deep wells. The invention has for its object to provide improvements in such well elevators, and particularly those which comprise 16 an elevator body and a gate hinged together and adapted to surround and embrace the work, the improvements pertaining particularly to the means for looking or holding the gate in closed position or closed with re- 20 lation to the body, and for releasin such gate from such closed position so that it may be swung open to release or receive worlr. In accordance with the invention I provide a latch or bolt preferabl upon the gate and cooperating with the bo and means being provided for retracting such bolt from locked osition, such latter means operating rotatab y, so that it is turned to produce retractive movement of the bolt.

The invention has for further objects the provision of a well elevator which will be generally superior in efficiency and service-.

ability, taken in conjunction with relative simplicity and inexpensiveness of construc- 86 tion, and durability and compactness in form and convenience in operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, combination, con- 40 struction, association and inter-relation of parts, membersand features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing and finally pointed out in claims. In the drawing: 48' Figure l is a perspective view of a well elevator embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the closure or gate member of a well elevator embodying the invention;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the gate shown in Figure 2', and taken on the line 3-3;

Fi re 4 is a sectional view showing certain atures of the invention;

residing at 'ing the same in Figure 5 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 5-5'of Figure 2; I

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of t latch members; v

Figure 7 is a plan view of the latch member s own in Figure 6; andv Figure 8 is h a Figure 9 is a view ofmeans used between the suspension means and the holding means for maintainsition to the other; and

fragmentary cross-sectional,

an end view of the latch'mem- '65 a predetermined relative po-.

Fig. 10 is-a frontfview of my invention.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters. ,Referring with particularity to the draw ing, the

clamp and holding means A and suspension well elevator comprises broadly,

means Btherefor; the latter means being supported by holsting means, not shown. The clamping and holding means A includes two members a and b respectively. The member a may be designated the working body of the means A, and the member 6 may be designated the confining or closure body or gate of. the means A.

The bodies a and b are detachably united by connection means 0 which permit relative movement of the same; securing or latch means 01 being provided for maintaining the membersa and b in predetermined relative positions with relation to some load to be borne by the said members. Thesus ension means B which maybe termed a ball, is joined with the member'a, the weight of the load being imposed upon said through the agency of said member a.

The member a comprises a substantiallycentrally bowed or curved portion 1 provided with oppositely extending trunnions 2 and 3. The member 6' consists of a bowed or curved bowed or curved portion 1 of the member a; whereby a substantially circular passage when the closure member bfis inconnection with the member a, is formed. The bail B is provided with journal eyes on its ends for reception of the trunnions 2*and 3 of the bail directly portion 4 complementary. to the member (1, whereby the bail is jourjnaled on the body of the means 0 and securing means d are applied to ends of the bowed; or curvedportions 1 elevator. The connection" Q naeaeso 'w may be conveniently retained within the chamber a by downwardly striking the edge portion as :0 thereof so that the diameter formed is less than that of the diameter of ball member w. A spring membery .may urge the ball outwardly as has been stated, Obviously, this particular arrangement overcomes the necessity of the operator holding the clamping and holding means m a position relative to that of the ball, as illustrated in Figure 1. Pressure exerted on an end of the means A will tend to release the ball member w from the socket 'v in the journal eye, so that the means A may assumeanother position with relation to thebail.

In the preferred construction in which the curved portions 1 and 4 unite in the formation of a circular passage, the portion v 1 includes the major portion of such circular formation, being more than semi-circular, the portion 4 being consequently less than semicircular, and part of a total circular formation so constituted. The common plane within which the 'trun nions 2 and 3 lie coincides substantially with the plane of the diameter of the circular passageincluded between the curved portions 1 and 4. The connection means 0 and .securing means (1 are arranged at one side of the plane last referred to, and in a plane coincident with the chord of an are less than a semicircle in extension.

The connection means 0 comprises two lugs 5 and 6 respectively, projecting from an end of the body I); combined with a lug 7 projecting from the body a substantially at the line of junction of the trunnion 3 and the central portion 1; and a headed pinor pintle 8 passing through holes oropem'ngs 9 and 10 respectively, in the lugs 5 and 6 and a registering hole or opening'in the lug 7.

Two lugs 11 and 12 respectively project in spaced relation from the end of the curved portion 4; and an outwardly projecting lug 13 is formed, upon or connected with the body a and projecting therefrom substantially at the line of junction between the centrally curved portion 1 and the trunnion 2 the latch means are adapted to operate be; tween the lugs 11 and 12 andengage with the lug 13. The members just described, with the exception of the securing latch or latch means, are not features of the resent invention, the present invention resi ing in the formation, arrangement and connection of the latch means and elements going to hold the closure member b in relation to the b0? member a.

e member I) has formed on its outside circular recess 16. As shown in Figure 3 where the bore 17 is in communication with 'sageway as at 18 in communication with the a the circular recess 16, the bore is not a complete circle. The inner periphery of the circular recess 16 is provided with an annular I groove 19 and a perforation 20 produced member 6 includes two parts, a bolt (3' and a. turntable member f. The bolt 6 is elongated in formation, as shown at 21 and is confined within the bore 17.. The outer end of said bolt (2 as at. 22 is curvedly beveled. Said bolt member 6 is likewise provided with a vertical notched portion 23. A. coil spring 25 within said bore 17 normally engages the inner end 26 of the bolt and is confined between it and the end wall 27 of the bore 17,

so that the bolt e is normall urged out-' e turntable:

wardly from the bore 17. member f comprises a circular body portion 28 provided at one face as at 29 with a flange 30, said flange being interrupted for a portion as at 31. An extension 32 formed with a transverse member 33 is joined to the flanged face 30 asat 34. The transverse The extension 33 constitutes handle means.

body portion 28 of the turntable member 1 is provided with an annular groove 35 located in its peripheral edge as at 36. Upon. j

lug 38, which is located near the peripheral the other face 37 of the body 28 is placed a edge of the body 28, as shown at 39. Referring to Figure 4 it is to be noted that the member f fits within the recess 16 of the member 15 and has the flanged portion 30 thereof engagin the surface 40 of the member 15. In said 'gure the annular. groove 35 and the annular groove19 are complementary' to each other; also the. lug 38 projects within the bore 17 located within the member 12, and enters the slot 24 of said bolt. A rotatlon ofthe turntable member f will therefore causethe bolt (2 to be retracted withinor extended from the bore 17. In the latter connection it is to be noted that the spring member 25 normally urges'the bolt 6 from the bore 17, and in so urging causes rotation of the turntable member f. To limit the turmng of the member 7' a projection 41 is formed on the face 40 of the member .15, as

st transversely through themember 15 com-"-' municates with said groove 19. The latch at 42, and the interrupted portion 31 of the flange 30 engages opposite faces of the lug 41 and prevents the handle member from making a complete rotation. Thus if the turnable member is within the recess 16, the bolt at all times is prevented from being dis-' placed from the bore 17.

It is of course necessary to provide some means whereby the turntable member cannot be taken from the recess 16, and to that end soft wire material is pushed upwardly through the perforation 20 so that it may pass into and extend within the annular "grooves 19 and 35 and lock the turntable member f to the member 6. When the gate 6 is swung into a closed position with relation to the member a the curved nose 22 of the bolt 6 when it engages the lug 13 will tend to push back the bolt 6 within the bore 17 until such time as the nose comes into a notch 43 formed in the inner face of the lug 13. When this occurs the bolt will be limited in its outward movement by the interrupted flange 30 of the turntable member b, cooperating with the projection 41.

It will thus be noted that a latch of this type provides a positive means whereby the gate of a well elevator may be quickly closed and quickly opened by an operator in a minimum of time. At the present time it is necessary for a well operator when pulling a well elevator toward tubing, which tubing it is intended to lift, to hold on tothe bail B and at the same time control the gate 6 of the means A. When the member 01 has its face 4 applied to a tube or the work to be lifted, it is necessary for him to kick the gate 6 closed and operate the locking mechanism. This is an unhandy anddifficult feat, but with the mechanism just disclosed a kicking of the gate 6 will automatically lock said gate with relation to the member a. A simple rotation of the handle 33 will tend to retract the bolt 6 and allow the gate 6 to again be opened.

It is obvious that the particular arrangement of the member a with relation to the closure member 6 permits the members a to carry the majority of the weight of the work when the closure 7) is closed, although the lug 11 imposed part of the weight upon the lug 13.

I do not desire the invention to be understood as limited to the specific provision, construction, formation and association of parts, members and features shown and de' scribed, but reserve the right to vary the same, in adapting the improvements to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit of the invention .and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a body and gate, of a latch therefor, said latch comprising a bolt and a turntable cooperating with the boltto retract the same; said turntable'having a handle, and its turning center being at one sideof the path of pla of the bolt; said turntable being provided with an interruptedflange, and the upon which the'turntable 1s mounted being provided with stop means cooperating wit said interrupted flange to limit the turning movement of saidturntable.

2; The combination with a body and gate, of a latch therefor, said latch comprising a bolt and a turntable cooperating with the bolt to retract the same; said gate being formed with a longitudinal bore therein, and with a circular transverse recess on its outer face in communication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being received within the longitudinal bore and said turntable being received within the transverse recess.

3. A body and gate provided with a latch, said latch com rising a bolt and turntable cooperating with the bolt to retract the same; said gate being formed with a longipart of the gate tudinal bore and with a circular transverse recess 1n communication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being re'ceived within the longitudinal bore and the turntable be ng received in the transverse recess; saidv turntable having its turnin center at one side of the path of play of t e bolt.

4. A body and gate having a latch, said latch comprisin a bolt and a turntable cooperating with the bolt to retract the same; said gate being formed with a longitudinal bore therein, and with a circular transverse recess in communication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being received within the longitudinal bore and said turntable being received Within the transverse recem; said turntable including a curved body portion provided with an annular groove, there bein a complemental annular groove within tlie transverse recess of the gate, and means ad'a ted to be received between and within sai annular grooves-for maintaining the curved body portion of the turn table in the transverse recess of the gate.

5. A body and gate having a latch, said latch comprising a bolt and a turntable cooperating with the bolt to retract the same; said gate being formed with a' longitudinal bore therein, and with a circular transverse recess in communication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being received within the longitudinal bore and saidturntable being received Within the transverse recess; said turntable including a curved body portion provided with an annular groove, there being a complemental annular groove within the transverse recess of the gate, and means adapted to be received beturntable in the transverserecess of the gate; said bolt being formed with a vertical notch, and one vided with a big for reception in the vertical notch of the bolt, whereby a turning of the turntable will tend to extend or retract the bolt Within the longitudinal bore of the gate. y

6. A body and gate having a latch, said latch comprising a bolt and a turntable cooperating with the bolt to retract'the same; said gate being formed with a longitudinal bore therein, and with a circular transverse recess incommunication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being'received within the longitudinal bore and said turntable being received within the transverse recess; said turntable including a curved body portion provided with an annular groove, there being a complemental annular groove within the transverse recess of the gate, and means adapted to be received between and within said annular grooves for maintaining the curved body portion of the turntable in the transverse recess of the gate; said bolt being formed with a vertical notch, and one face of the body being provided with a lug for reception in the vertical notch of the bolt, whereface of the body being pro-l eeaeso being provided with an interrupted flange,

there being a projection upon said gate adapted to engage with said interrupted flange to limit the turning movement of the I turntable.

7. A body and gateprovided with a latch ;v .said latch comprisin a-bolt, and a turntable cooperating with t e bolt to retract the same; saidgate beingX formed with a longitudinal bore and wit a circular transverse recess in communication with said longitudinal bore; said bolt being received within the longitudinal bore, and said turntable being received within the transverse recess; there being yielding means within the longitudinal bore normally engaging the inner end of 'the bolt for ur ing said bolt out.- wardly from said bore; t e outer end of said bolt being curvedly beveled.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my' name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM H. BURS-TALL. Witnesses:

HENRY C. DOWNES, EUGENE J. DIEDRIOH. 

